Cracker dispenser



y 1941- c. A. DAVIS, JR, ET AL 2,247,834

CRACKER DISPENSER 4 Filed Feb. 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Pay/A, b77 5INVENTOR ATTORNEY S y 1- c. A. DAVIS, JR., ETAL 2,247,834

CRACKER DISPENSER Filed Feb. 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T l I l 56 374194 a7 1 36 Mi W111i: 31:21: 1 I 5 P '1 58 i //d l I a 5 a j 7 26 I 52g? 2 L6 9 5f {32 ATTORNEYS Patented July 1, 1941 2,247,834. oaAcKERnrsrENsER Charles A.

Davis, .lrsand Paul A. Jones,

. Hobbs, N. Mex. 1

Application February 26, 1940, Serial No. 320,936

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvementsindispensing devices andespecially is concerned with a newand improved dispenser for wafers suchas cookies, crackers and the like: I

It is among the more important objects of the present invention toprovide'a compact useful wafer dispenser including means whereby 'waferparticles such as crumbs and the like can be discharged from theapparatus without likelihood of interfering with moving parts thereofdue to accumulation of divided material in the dispenser. r

Another object of the instant inventionis to provide a wafer dispenserwhich, while compact,

nevertheless includes relatively large storage space for wafer to bedispensed and in which but a small portion of the volume of the deviceis occupied by the mechanism for operating same. v x v An advantage ofthe novel wafer dispenser according to the instant inventionover'certain prior art devices is its simplicity of construction whichwill lend itself to the requirements of mass production in that it canreadily be manufactured by simple stamping operations performed upon'sheet metal. Although this is in no wise tobe construed as implying thatthe product is flimsy or unsubstantial.

A noteworthy feature of the dispenser accord} ing to this invention isthat it includes means-- -for simultaneously dispensing wafers fromoppo- 7 site sides of the device whereby the dispenser is suited todouble use.

Other objects of the present invention and such that portions of saidslotted grid form the backs and bottom wafer-supporting platforms ofsaid compartments; said casing having wafer ejection ports near theplatforms; and means for ejecting wafers positioned on the supportingplatforms. V

In order to facilitate a fuller, more complete understanding of thematter of the present invention and also in order to present to the arta specific embodiment of this invention, the principally preferred typeof device according to this invention will now be described, it beingclearly understood, however, that the scope of this invention isexpressed in the subjoined claims and thatthe preferred hereinillustrated and described embodiment is supplied only by way ofnon-limitative example. f V

Referring then to the drawings,

Figure 1 isessentially a side elevational view of the presentlypreferred embodiment of this invention, parts being broken away forclearness of illustration andportions of the device being shown byvertical sectionalview,

Fig. 2 is essentially a front elevational view of the device shown inFig. 1,

Fig. 3 is essentially a horizontal sectional view of Fig. 1 taken alongthe line 3-3,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating features of the partition gridforming a part of the device illustrated in the foregoing figures, and

Fig.5 is essentially a perspective view of, an

ejector element.

Referring especially to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be noted that thedevice generally designated by thenumeral 10 comprises a casing IIessentially rectangular in cross-sectional outline and open at the top,being provided with a 'cap [2 frictionallyengaging therewith,essentially as ,shown.

The sides Ila of the casing II are provided near the bottoms thereofwith essentially rectangular openings l3 which constitute wafer ejectorports as will be hereinafter more fully apparent. A base l4 attached tothe casing H at sideportions thereof is hollow, open at the bottom andpreferably of essentially frusto-pyramido shape.

tively elongate grid 2|, provided with sets of longitudinally extendingslots 22, arranged in sheets whereby end portions 23 and an intermediatelocality 24 of the grid are unslotted, is doubled along a transversecenter line ,25 to present upstanding but downwardly slightly divergingcompartment back portions 26 substantially as shown. The bottom parts ofthe downwardly extending compartment back portions 26 are .bentoutwardly along the transversely extending lines 21 to provide the wafersupporting 4 wherein platforms 28 positioned within a common plane. Itis especially to be noted that the slots 22 extend essentiallycontinuously across the Wafer supporting platforms 28 and vertically upthe compartment backs 26. The bent sheet grid is supported within thecasing l I in a manner such that the downwardly diverging butessentially upright partition elements 26 are positioned near thevertical axis of the casing whereby the casing is divided into a pair ofwafer compartments. The grid may be attached to the casing by anyconvenient means such as welding or soldering to the sides of the casingwhereby during use the relative positions of the parts are maintained.

Referring now especially to Fig. wherein is illustrated one of theejector grids generally designated by the numeral 30, it will be notedthat the grid comprises an essentially rectangular sheet of material 3|provided with longitudinally extending slots 32 which extendsubstantially throughout the length of the sheet except for the frontportion 33 and the back portion 34 thereof essentially as shown. Uprightintegrally formed lugs 35 located on the rearmost edge 34 of the slottedsheet 3! are positioned behind the ends of the outermost slots '32 forpurposes which hereinafter more clearly will be apparent. The ejectorgrids 36 are horizontally slidingly mounted beneath the wafer supportingplatforms 2B hereinabove described substantially as shown. in Figs. 1and 2 whereby the slots 22 and 32 are disposed in registry and alsowhereby the upright lugs 35 can, during sliding motion of the grids 30,ride in the outermost slots 22 of the wafer supporting platforms. ingmotion of the grids 3i), projecting handle elements 36 are provided onthe front edge portions 33 of the grids and extend outwardly therefromand downwardly abutting against side parts of the base It essentially asshown in Fig. 1. It will be noted that abutment of the handle againstthe base serves to limit motion of the grids inwardly relative to thecasing H Hook elements 31 mounted on each of the grids 30 and carryingspring tensioning means 38 normally hold the grids in retracted positionwhereby the lugs 35 are positioned adjacent but behind the bottomportions of the partition elements 26 and whereby the handles 35 arepressed against side portions of the base 14.

For convenience of illustration and description, the device asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is shown with crackers positioned withinthe storage compartment, although of course it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that substantially any wafer can be dispensed fromthe device. In operation the crackers or wafers are stacked within thecompartments resting against the partition elements 25 and resting uponthe wafer supporting platforms 28 hereinabove described. In ejecting thecracker or wafer, one of the grids 30 or, if desired, both gridssimultaneously, is moved by gripping the handle element 36 and pullinghorizontally outwardly. As the grid slides outwardly, the lugs 35 engagewith back portions of the lowermost cracker or wafer A from the stack Awhereby the wafer or cracker is moved outwardly through the ejector port!3 tothe position shown in phantom in Fig. 1. Upon release of the handlethe grid moves into retracted position by action of the springtensioning means hereinabove described and the projecting portion of thecracker or wafer is held in place between the stack A and the wafersupporting platform 28 and may be grasped and pulled from the. dis- Inorder to facilitate slidpenser. It is to be understood of course thatappropriate steps are provided for preventing unlimited withdrawal ofthe grid 30, the preferred limit of withdrawal being substantially asshown in Fig. 1 whereby likelihood of jamming of the device due tofalling of the second lowermost wafer behind the lugs 35 is minimized.

It. will be apparent from the foregoing that inasmuch as the slots 22and 32 are in registry, wafer particles can fall therethrough to bedischarged through the open bottom of the base I4 thereby precludinglikelihood of jamming of the moving parts due to deposit of particlesthereon. It also will be evident that wafer particles can pass throughthe slotted portions of the upright portions 26 and be dischargedthrough the open bottom of the device.

Having thus described the present invention, what it is desired tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wafer dispenser comprising a casing, opening at the top, a bentlongitudinally slotted. sheet grid within said casing, forming apartition dividing the interior of said casing into wafer storagecompartments in a manner such that portions of said slotted grid formthe backs and bottom wafer-supporting platforms of said compartments;said casing having wafer ejection ports near the platforms; means forejecting wafers positioned on the supporting platforms comprising gridshorizontally slidingly mounted beneath and having slots registerablewith slots in the wafer supporting platforms; upright integrally formedlugs on rearmost edges of said grids slidable in certain slots formed inthe platforms during motion of the grids for engaging with lowermostwafers and moving same through the ejection ports; means for holdingsaid grids normally in retracted position comprising hooks one on eachof said grids, and spring tensioning means carried on said hooks; andoutwardly extending handles formed integral with said grids forfacilitating movement thereof.

2. A wafer dispenser comprising a casing, opening at the top; awafer-compartment-forming partition within said casing made from. a bentstrip of longitudinally slotted sheet material presenting a pair ofessentially upright, downwardly slightly diverging elements, formedintegrally with each other and joined at the tops; horizontallypositioned, longitudinally slotted wafer supporting platforms withinsaid casing, formed integral with said upright elements and extendingtherefrom to wafer ejection openings formed in side portions of saidcasing; means for ejecting wafers positioned on the supporting platformscomprising grids horizontally slidingly mounted beneath and having slotsregisterable with said slots in the wafer supporting platforms; uprightintegrally formed lugs on rearmost edges of said grids slidable incertain of said slots formed in the platforms during motion of the gridsfor engaging with lowermost wafers and moving same through the ejectionopenings; means for holding said grids normally in retracted positioncomprising hooks, one on each of said grids, and spring tensioning meanscarried on said hooks; and outwardly extending handles formed integralwith said grids for facilitating movement thereof.

3. A wafer dispenser comprising a stand for facilitating stacking of thewafers; said stand comprising a strip of sheet material, provided withlongitudinally positioned slots extending substantially throughout thelength thereof excepting the ends and a localized intermediate area andbent near its end portions in opposite directions but in a common planewhereby the bent strip in side elevation presents a. pair of L-shapedmembers integrally formed and joined at the tops providing horizontalWafer supporting platforms; a casing, opening at the top, circumjacentsaid stand and attached thereto, internally divided into wafer storagecompartments by said stand, and provided with water ejection ports inside portions thereof near the Wafer supporting platforms; means forejecting wafers positioned on the supporting platforms comprising gridshorizontally slidingly mounted beneath and having slots registerablewith slots in the Wafer supporting platforms, upright integrally formedlugs on rearmost edges of said grids slidable in certain of said slotsformed in the platforms during motion of the grids for engaging withlowermost wafers and moving same through the ejection ports; means forholding said gridsnormally in retracted position comprising hooks, oneon each of said grids, and spring tensiom'ng means carried on saidhooks; and outwardly extending handles formed integral with said gridsfor facilitating movement thereof.

4. A wafer dispenser, comprising a casing open at its upper end, a wafercompartment forming partitions Within the casing midway its length andformed of two obliquely arranged walls having laterally extending endsspaced from the bottom of the casing, said obliquely arranged wallsprovided with longitudinally extending slots continuing through thelaterally turned ends, wafer ejecting grids arranged below the laterallyturned ends of the partitions, outwardly extending arms carried by theouter ends of the grids and extending through openings in the .casing,upwardly extending lugs carried by the inner ends of the grids andextending through certain slots in the

